Fantastic Four #12: Flame On 23

Fantastic Four #12, page 15, panel 3

Script: Stan Lee

Art: Jack Kirby

Inking: Dick Ayers

Lettering: Art Simek

Ah, those halcyon days of times past. When an army base conducting top secret weapons research involving gamma rays would have a strange egg-shaped rail-mounted transport pod that anyone could jump into, only to find themselves at risk of being blown up by a booby trap laid by a most-literal card-carrying Communist spy with a penchant for kidnapping teenage sidekicks.

Ah, those halcyon days of times past. When a Fantastic Four comic would trail the appearance of the Hulk on the cover of the comic, only to be repeatedly sidetracked, ensuring that by the 3/4 mark, we have yet to see the jade giant himself.

It’s not often that Kirby and Lee let their pacing instincts draw them this far off course, but with Fantastic Four #12, the moody and ominous cover acts as a tease to a fight that barely gets to happen in the issue. Thankfully, the next time the Hulk would meet the Fantastic Four, the action quota would be more than met.

Anyway, waxing lyrical has led me astray as well. Johnny’s catchhrase is here employed as he charges off to try and save Ben from the exploding egg-shaped transport pod.